Global stocks are gaining, if not at the pace of domestic equities. While the S&P 500 has risen 17% year to date, the EAFA index of large- and mid-cap stocks based in countries other than the U.S. and Canada has gained 9.5%. Over the past five years, the performance gap has been wider, with the S&P 500 advancing 94% compared to a 32% gain in EAFE. But the underperformance has given global stocks a valuation advantage, particularly in the area of dividends. Consider that the EAFE dividend yield of 2.9% is 170 basis points higher than the comparable S&P 500 dividend yield. We think global dividend stocks now offer opportunity, particularly given the endless speculation over the direction of interest rates in the U.S., which has created market-timing headaches for equity income investors, who have endured recent wide swings in prices for rate-sensitive equity in areas such as utilities, REITs and MLPs. In our view, investing in international income stocks is one way to increase portfolio diversification while reducing sensitivity to volatile U.S. interest rates. Investing in overseas stocks carries its own set of risks, including the impact of currency exchange and geopolitical turmoil. But there are also a number of positives in this asset class for U.S. investors, including a wide selection of companies that pay dividends, robust industry diversification, and, as we have mentioned, higher yields and lower valuations. Argus has recently boosted its global coverage, and recommends the following international dividend stocks, each of which has at least a long-term BUY rating from an Argus analyst. Note this list of approximately 25-30 companies offers exposure to eight of the 11 major industrial sectors. The list includes companies from 10 countries.

The second-largest tobacco company by volume, British American Tobacco sold 555 billion cigarettes in 2023. Its leading brands are Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, and Rothmans in cigarettes. Its ownership of the Camel, Natural American Spirit, and Newport brands are limited to the US. In next-generation products, the company has the Vuse brand in vaping, Glo in heated tobacco, and Velo in modern oral tobacco. The company also owns a 25.5% stake in ITC limited, the largest Indian cigarette company.

London-based British American Tobacco plc is the holding company for a group of companies that manufacture, market and sell cigarettes and other tobacco products, as well as smokeless products. Its major brands include Newport, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Sprit, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555, and Shuang Xi.

The board is green. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are both up more than 1%. Inflation data came in on the producer side signaling that prices are trending down. We like that. Tomorrow the CPI report is due so we can check in on the consumer side. Economists expect the July pace to match the month before.